In a tradition going back to 1920, on the eve of October 28, marking the
birth of Czechoslovak independence, the Czech Culture Ministry grants
annual State Awards to outstanding Czech authors and translators. This
year’s recipients are author and literary scholar Daniela Hodrová and
translator and university professor Martin Hilský who recently completed
his translation of the entire work by William Shakespeare.

Daniela Hodrová
Sixty-five-year old Daniela Hodrová is familiar both with the theory and
practice of writing. Since the 1970s she has devoted herself to creative
writing as well as research, specializing in the theory of the novel. Her
books have been published also in French, German and Polish. Literary
historian Vladimír Novotný who is a member of the jury describes her
latest book “Vyvolávání” (Invoking).

“Maybe we could call this book a symphony of memory. Hodrová is not an
author who spews out a useless and short-lived book every year. She writes
sparsely, her previous book was published seven years ago. The long pause
is proof of her strong aesthetic responsibility with which she approaches
her writing, her creative calling.”

Sixty-eight-year old Professor Martin Hilský, translator and Shakespeare
scholar, has recently concluded his lifelong endeavour of translating the
complete works of William Shakespeare into Czech. All the plays and poems
were published earlier this year in one volume.

“This is the most significant award for a translator and I am glad that
it helps to bring the invisible art of translation to the forefront –
because translation tends to be overlooked. I am also very happy that the
tradition of rewarding translations continues. I accept this as recognition
of my lifelong effort and I am happy to be part of the tradition of Czech
Shakespearean translations. I think it is an impressive tradition and I
believe the standards are very high. So I am happy to be part of it.”

Martin Hilský
Martin Hilský was first offered to translate a play by William
Shakespeare 28 years ago for Prague’s National Theatre. That is also
where he is going to receive the award from Culture Minister Jiří Besser.

Since 2003, the Culture Ministry has also been granting special honours to
artists for their outstanding contribution to Czech theatre, music, visual
arts and architecture. This year’s awards go to jazz theorist Lubomír
Dorůžka; Leoš Válka, founder of the Prague DOX gallery; architect
Miroslav Masák; film director Jan Němec; and posthumously to film score
composer Zdeněk Liška.